Asylum seekers rescued after boat engine fails

Asylum seekers are taken to the jetty on Christmas Island for processing. (file)

Audience submitted: Mark Trenorden

Australian authorities have gone to the aid of another asylum seeker boat off Christmas Island, the third so far this week.

It is believed 83 people were on board and they have been transferred to the island for health and safety checks.

Yesterday, a boat carrying 105 asylum seekers was picked up by HMAS Bundaberg after its engine failed.

Its crew boarded and found there was little food or water available for the trip.

In a separate incident on the same day, two asylum seekers drowned and another three were injured when waves rolled their boat which was carrying more than 90 people.

The deaths have renewed debate about Australia's border protection policy.

The Refugee Rights Action Network's Sarah Ross says the tragedy is yet another indication the policy of deterrence does not work.

"The Australian Government should be looking at more humanitarian policies towards asylum seekers - increasing resettlement from people in transit countries and in their countries of origin.

"At the moment, the Government is blocking people from being resettled so they're not providing safer avenues which is forcing people to get on boats."

"At the moment I think what is of more concern is the direction the Government is going in handling this by re-introducing offshore processing and by hardening its detention policies which are clearly not working."

The Prime Minister Julia Gillard has blamed the Opposition for the Government's inability to act on all of the recommendations of the expert panel on asylum seekers.

The Government wants to resurrect the Malaysia solution but the Coalition will not support it, citing a number of problems identified by the expert panel.

Ms Gillard says it is a convenient argument from the Opposition.

"I would in a heartbeat enact every recommendation in the Houston Review," she said.

"We have been stopped from doing that by the negativity of the Opposition because they think more boats on the horizon is good for their politics."

The Government introduced bridging visas in response to a surge in boat arrivals.

The Opposition's immigration spokesman Scott Morrison has confirmed that a Coalition government would impose behaviour protocols for asylum seekers on those visas.

Mr Morrison flagged the controversial idea earlier this year after a Sri Lankan asylum seeker was charged with indecent assault.

Under the plan, asylum seekers would be subject to strict protocols, and police and residents would be notified when they moved into their communities.

Senior Coalition MPs have not publicly endorsed the plan but Mr Morrison says it is their policy.

Christmas Island shire councillor Gordon Thomson says increasing numbers of asylum seekers will continue making the journey regardless of who is in power at a federal level.

He says the shire has written a letter of condolence.

"We are letting them know from past experiences of talking to asylum seekers we understand why they have made the dangerous journey; that they are escaping oppressive conditions in their home countries and we wish them well," he said.

"Whichever party's in power, the issue is that there are people who are coming from very bad situations in their home countries and there are many countries in the world where such conditions are driving people out of their homes."

Ms Ross says she does think there is much difference between the major parties.

"At the moment there is not much difference between the policies (of the Government and Coalition) but I think we will be looking at a harsher refugee policy under a Liberal Government," she said.

"Australia needs to rethink how it treat refugees - if we don't provide safe avenues for resettlement then people will continue to get on boats.

"By treating refugees humanely and processing them in the community we won't have the problems of overcrowding detention centres and people can intergrate into the community as they will once they've been processed."